Tell A Thousand Lies (52 page)

“He’s not a toy that we can toss back and forth, Lata. Besides, he’s old enough that he be allowed a say in this.” I looked at Ved, tense with fear. If he chose to go back to Lata again, I didn’t know what I’d do. “Do you want to go?”

“Do you want me to?”

“No!” I was fighting for my son here. I knew now that he loved me, and I would not give him up. He streaked across the courtyard and slammed into me, hugging me fiercely. I held him tight.
Thank you, God!

“Fine, then.” Lata looked sad beyond belief. “Let’s go home,” she said to Srikar.

“Lata,” Srikar said. His voice was gentle. “You can’t go around making decisions for other people, you know. Remember what we talked about?”

“I didn’t realize you were serious.” Her voice was oddly small.

“You married me because you wanted to punish Pullamma, and also get away from your first husband. Now it’s my turn. I want to be with Pullamma, but it’s not because I want to get away from you. I want to make a family with my wife and son.” He looked at me, uncertain.

Suddenly, I was angry and hurt. “Why did you wait till Lata forced the issue? Why couldn’t you have been the one to take the first step? You think this is easy on me – the way you seesaw between her and me?”

“Pullamma!” Ammamma clapped her mouth. “You’re questioning your husband? Isn’t this what you’ve waited for all these years?”

Ammamma wouldn’t understand. Not in a thousand years. “I waited for my husband, Ammamma. Not for leftover crumbs from Lata. Why do I always have to settle for being second,
hanh
? Have I no feelings, no pride?”

Srikar looked bewildered. “But Pullamma, I thought this was what you wanted.”

“This
is
what I wanted. But I wanted it to come from you.”

Srikar was silent for a long moment. “I know I’ve put you last, Pullamma. I’ve done it over and over. I know I’ve hurt you. But I’ve hurt myself, too.”

Why was I fighting my husband? Just when my greatest wish was on the verge of coming true? “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“It is, actually.” He sighed. “Look, Pullamma. I’m not reacting after Lata made her declaration. A month ago I told Lata that I was going back to my family – to Ved and to you. I sold my business, transferred the house in Lata’s name, set her up with enough money that she can lead a comfortable life. Now I’m here.”

“Why did you wait so long?”

“I had to make sure my grandfather was no longer a threat to you. Ask Lata, if you wish.”

“I have no desire to ask her. Not now, not ever. She’s been the third person in our marriage for far too long, and I’ve had enough.”

“So you’re saying you don’t want me back?”

Ved made a sound of distress.

I sagged against the wall. “No, I’m not saying that,” I said slowly, tears beginning to stream down. “I might be proud, but I’m not foolish.” Dear God, I’d waited so long for this. Why wasn’t I happier?

“Lata, perhaps you should leave.” Srikar looked at me for confirmation. I nodded. “It’ll be for the best if you and I have no further contact.”

Lata’s shoulders drooped. She trudged towards the gate. Her hand on the gate, she looked back, her eyes lingering on Srikar, then Ved. Then she was gone.

Ved broke down. Srikar took him in his arms, rocking him gently. Ammamma rose up, wiping the edges of her eyes. She put a hand on my shoulder in support. Then she hobbled to the front room of her portion of the house and closed the door behind her.

I swallowed, feeling intense sadness for a relationship ripped beyond repair. I might never forgive Lata for what she’d done, but when it came down to it, we had shared a womb.

“Who will take care of her?” Ved asked, sounding heartbroken.

“We are not banishing Lata from your life, Child,” Srikar said, holding Ved’s face in his hands. “You can visit her whenever you want, okay?”

Ved bit his lip, sniffling.

Srikar ran a gentle hand over our son’s hair. “As long as she takes her medicines regularly, she’ll be fine.” He put an arm around Ved, hugging him closer. “You know that, don’t you?”

Ved nodded, burying his head in Srikar’s side.

“
Pulla
?” Srikar walked Ved over to where I stood. “Do you think we can make this work?”

I looked a long time at him and Ved.

“We owe it our little family, don’t we?”

Chapter 63

Someone Has To Pay

Three Months Later

I
opened my eyes, disoriented. Someone was banging at the door. Srikar propped himself on an elbow, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He smiled at me and dragged on a shirt. I sat up, smiling sleepily, the old familiar warmth flooding my chest.

He opened the door, and Ved fell in.

“Amma! Nanna! There’s
kumkum
and a dead chicken by the gate.” His face was ashen.

Sleep fled as I jumped to my feet. “What are you talking about?”

At the gate, a crowd had gathered. Most eyes were on the heap.
Kumkum
and chicken. The very items that had been left at
Renuka
pinni
’s
house, supposedly confirming to the villagers that she was a witch.

Ammamma collapsed against the compound wall, the edge of her sari stuffed in her mouth. “
Yedukondalavada!
” she whispered.

I looked at the rapidly expanding crowds with a pounding heart. Chinni pushed her way through, badly out of breath. Srikar held Ved tightly to his side as he scanned the crowds. Chinni’s mother came up and stood a little apart. I gave her a distracted smile, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. A muttering swept through the crowd.

Kondal Rao was advancing, palms joined together, multiple flower garlands swinging from his neck, looking very much like an ox decked up for a festival. Only missing were his horns. He stopped every few steps, talking to people, kissing babies, blessing youngsters.

What was this man up to now?

A couple of his goons, big streaks of red
tilakams
on their foreheads, followed. I could hear Ammamma chanting furiously, prayer beads in hand.

“He got what he wanted,” Srikar said angrily. “What is this drama about?”

“The Party Chief might be forced to replace Kondal Rao as the Chief Minister,” Chinni whispered.

“Why on earth?” I was shocked.

“A tape of him has surfaced. He was caught promising favours in return for money to fund his election campaign. It’s causing great embarrassment to the party.”

Bad luck for Kondal Rao. As far as political parties were concerned, getting caught on tape was the only sin; demanding favours was business as usual.

“Arrogant bastard,” Srikar said. “Coming here without police protection. What’s he trying to prove? That he doesn’t need the security because this is his home constituency?”

“But why would he be here?” My heart began to thud. I shrank against the compound wall thinking again of
Renuka
pinni
. He wouldn’t, would he?

“Pullamma. Srikar.” Ammamma began to tremble. “He’s brewing up trouble, I know he is. Go in, all of you. Right now.” She tried to drag me in.

A man stepped closer to the
kumkum
and chicken, then another man, then another, till we were forced against the wall.

“Pullamma!” Ammamma started to sob in terror. “He’s probably cooked up an affair between Chandrasekhar and you. He’ll incite the mob, have you stoned. Come inside, I beg you, come inside.” She pushed Ved back towards the gate and hurried him in. The gate clanged shut. “Come in Pullamma, Srikar,” Ammamma begged from behind the gate. “The gate isn’t locked.”

The roiling cauldron of humanity closed in, trapping us against the wall. I breathed in short jerky breaths, trying desperately to clamp down on mounting hysteria. Faces blurred together, melding into accusatory eyes. I hugged myself, trembling violently. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not after all that Srikar, Ved and I had been through.

“
Aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
!”

The crowds parted. I watched in shock as they flowed around Lata, enveloping her as well. Where had she come from? There was excited chatter; the crowds parted again, this time to reveal an advancing Kondal Rao. Lata moved closer to me, casting frenzied looks at Kondal Rao. I lunged for her arm.

“What are you doing here?” I shouted in panic. What had she cooked up with that vile man?

She elbowed me aside, raised her arms, grabbed the pins and rubber band from her hair, and threw them on the ground.
 

“Lata!” Chinni clapped a hand to her mouth.

Kondal Rao was moving closer by the minute.

Lata planted her legs far apart, thrust her head forward, hair spilling over, and started to move her head in a fast circular motion. “
Aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
!” Her hips swayed in an almost indecent manner.

Kondal Rao dropped his folded hands and stared at Lata. “What’s wrong with her?”

What! He didn’t know either?

Srikar’s eyes were frozen wide.

“
Aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
!” Lata’s voice was eerily high. She began to move faster and faster. Spittle flew from her mouth. Fast and faster, she went, hair covering her face. “
Kon
...
dal
... Rao... you have angered the Goddess.”

Sweat began to pour down Kondal Rao’s face. “She is a liar,” he shouted. “Just pretending to be an oracle.” He whirled around. “
Jaggaiah
?
Yaddaiah
? Where are those bloody fellows when I need them?”

A couple of henchmen bounded up, one of them waving his rifle wildly. He looked nervously at the skittish crowds.

“Kondal Ra...a...a...o...o...o,” Lata said in a high pitched voice. “The Goddess speaks through me. You have sinned. You pretended Pullamma was a Goddess. You destroyed her life. You lied, you cheated for the sake of elections. Stoning is too good for you. Hell is too good for you.”

“But... but...”

What was Lata doing?

The crowd fixed their gaze on Kondal Rao.

Kondal Rao took a step back. “She’s mad. Don’t believe her.” His voice wobbled.

“
Hai
...
aah
,” Lata threw out. “Doubting the Goddess herself, he is.” She pointed an accusing finger at Kondal Rao, moving faster and faster.

The crowd stared at her, then Kondal Rao, in horrified fascination.

“The sinner has to be punished,” Lata moaned at high pitch. “Has to be held accountable for his sins. His lies brought on last year’s drought.”

“I’m the weather or what?” Kondal Rao shouted, terror causing his jowls to quake. “How can I cause drought or floods, you stupid woman?”

“Aw-
wa
! Calling the Goddess stupid, he is.” Lata swayed. “He has tricked the fates long enough. The Goddess demands retribution.
Aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
...
aaa
!”

Crack!

Kondal Rao put a hand to his forehead. It came away bloody. He stared at it in disbelief.

He took one step back.

The crowd took one step forward.

He took another step back.

The crowd spread out, encircling him.

He pushed past, and sprinted to me. He fell at my feet, and looked up. “Protect me, Pullamma, protect me, I beg of you.” He was sobbing.